Processing cherries preserved in sulfur dioxide lime brine



Jan. 10, 1950 G. B. NICKOL PROCESSING CHERRIES PRESERVED IN SULFUR DIOXIDE LIME BRINE Filed July 14, 1948 v JNVENTOR omon B. M'ckoi .stance, three 0111 Y intervals v ri uj t'me hod rir i this centratign will cause ex'ces v. .cherries', especially when cherries with 'sternsj 'are Patented Jan. 10, 1950 ICE 2,494,258 ritocitssfficftisrtmit ,S-, i Ri1SErtyi :1i' 1N SULFUR DIOXIDE LIME BRINE Gordon B.lfioiiolfincilifiati, Ohio; assi iiorito National'Dls'tillers Products Corp; a corporaiiipiieetidn'fitlyi i, 19 18: serene: fi'a's ngijo tcherri e fp ser ed ,msulf j; er larlyforfthepreparahum of maraschl an ,diedfcherries.

, matured, arenpaclged into barrels are then .fil led" with j t, preservati e brine pornpri's inghusualare usually, ready for further removed .rr m t ei'brm fand' s b j ed},. e i

i sible stemniing','pitting' andgradm o treatment for the r'erno'valbf the sulfur jdioxidei introdueed ,into thenrby the preservative brine. '.,Th e' washed cherries are. then dyed and s t. im ede vl ee b bottling andipas'teuri'zationl in V the case of ,mara :schino cherries, ,orievap'oration and dryingeof surei'ace moistureinf the case: of. candied cherries. A

"method for ,Ithe ffec'overyl and @utilization of the brine infw'hich' the enern'e were hardened and v preserved is .disblds'ed' ,iI'l cop'ending applical tion, Serial No. .381'138 entitled fMethogl fpr'the recoveryfof cherry 'juice Lor syrup cherry Qbrine H med in the U; s. Patent Ofiice on'ev'en' dete'h'erewith. ,e

val of the t. su'l'furg diox i'de fiecited byfcontinuous washmittegnt vv'asl'ii'ng' with; for i n es Of JWash Water ,Qat 24 hour in or else byin sulfur removahprocess hays, been Su gested, such as rapid boiling finj freshwater jforfshort periods of time or addition -.,ofe,anoxidiz ing a ent, Both of these. methods'are ',j howev rfuns'atisfactory, the former lbecausel itjresults'in acid-deficient fruit having a grayapidearance, and the latter because it requires anadditionalWashing-operation. The

syruping of the cherries, that is, theincrease ofthe sugar "concentration thereof; is ,efiected, in accordance with the known manner of processing barrelled echerries, ,subsequentstoilthe sulfur dioxide removal. As a rapid i crease in sugar oone shrinkage" ofjthe' processed, and 'as "the desired sugar concentrations of maras'oh'inoi'cherriesjfishetween 35 and 50%, thesyruping must he carried out very gradfiially. Thus; this opration alone generally re "quir'esiin the case of'the known methods, a period of time of about 10 days or even longer, for the preparation of maraschino cherries and a much longer period for the syruping of candied cherries. In view of the three days generally re- (Cli 99 154) 6 anqfcanaied cthefrewi'th have Y Y :fatural herryflavorco n- 'paring""e cel1ently ith" thefiavor *of the ch r'ies jfprepared' by the newri processes. In addition, ie e teesesyrup remaihe' ror which a 'further'hse 2t ei r e.

V Iri' ac'cordanceWithihfifethodof m nven- ""ti'on'j the ueen after rerfioval'fi'on'i thel'ir'servi the brinej'etnq cesium-stemmin itting and "grading are submerged in" a cherry sulfur" di- 30 oxide limefh'rineWhlch'iiasfireviouslybeen "subjected to a hydrogen'rofi l lfiharige'treatr'nent as disclosed inmyafre'mentioned cop ending USS. patent" application. The*eherries, "while 'siibniergedfin the brine, "a e 's'i-ihjected te-temp'eratu'r"and pressu e conditions" adaptedftoj th diffusionof the tilturhioiiidefc'bfitnt of the cherries intdthe' isu iiding hyd'rogen ten-"treated ibrineyv'and toth ul'siofi ofthissulfur dioxide frorn'said brine. yriipi-r igof 'theher es" is w this jsulfurd fi'i'de treatment, mime-mariner that the tiger e'on entration of the brine is;gradually 'infirasediloyftfl'ie "addition "of sugar or by qontrolle dle'vapbiation of the brine. lifter the" sugar concent ation the is thereupon dried. The total time required for the preparation of maraschino cherries according to my method is only 2 /2 days from start to finished cherries.

In the carrying out of the method of my invention, the barrels of cherries are rolled from storage to processing tank I where the barrel heads are removed and the cherries and brine dumped into the tank. Perforated plate 2 is submerged in the brine, on top of the cherries, and fastened in this position to the walls of said tank. this plate serving to keep the cherries under the liquid level during the following processing. Valve 3 is then opened and the brine drained through pipe 4 into tank 5. The brine is then transferred by pump 6 through pipe 1 and through filter 8 and pipe 9 into tank H in which it is contacted with hydrogen ion exchange material such as Amberlite IR-100 until the pH has been reduced to about 1.5 and in any event to from 1.5 to 3.0 whereupon it is discharged through pipe ll controlled by valve l2 into tank 13. From tank l3 it is transferred by pump 14 through pipe [5 and through pipe l6 controlled by valve l1 (valve 24 being closed) through heater coil I8 in heat exchanger 19 by which it is heated to a temperature of at least 120 F. and preferably at least 130 F. passing thence through pipe 20 into distributor head 2| in column 22 by which it is sprayed downwardly through an ascending current of air provided by fan 23. The current of air carries olf sulfur dioxide. After all the treated brine has been returned to tank I valve I! is closed and valve 24 in pipe I6 is opened whereupon the brine is circulated by pump 25 through heater coil I 8 and distributor head 2i. Sulfur dioxide and water are continuously removed in column 22. The resulting loss of water from the brine in tank 1 is compensated for the controlled addition of sugar solution to tank I and this is continued either continuously or intermittently until'the desired removal of sulfur dioxide and water are obtained and the syrup has the desired concentration of solids. The concentration of the sugar syrup added is so controlled that the cherries are at all times covered by the liquid in tank I. When the final desired concentration is reached the finished syrup is drained from the cherries in tank I by pipe 26 controlled by valve 21 into tank 28. Additional flavor and color if desired may be added to the syrup in tank 28. The cherries are then emptied from tank I, for example, through a manhole (not shown) and thereupon filled into bottles, covered with the syrup from syrup tank 28, and then pasteurized, for instance, for 30 minutes at 170 F. If it is desired to prepare candied cherries, the above operations are continued until the syrup reaches a sugar concentration of about 80%, whereupon the cherries are removed from the syrup and dried free of surface moisture.

Although the specific example of my invention given above contemplates surface evaporation for the removal of the sulfur dioxide, it is evident that the liquid may also be subjected to boiling, either at atmospheric or at reduced pressure, or else that the surface evaporation may be effected under any temperature and pressure conditions, without departing from the generic concept of my invention. However, surface evaporation at 140 F. is preferred since this temperature is high enough to assure a convenient rate of S02 removal, diffusion of sulfur dioxide from cherries into liquor being approximately 6 times as rapid at F. as at 70 F., while low enough not to cause excessiveshrivelling of even cherries with stems. However, the cherries may, for instance, be held overnight in cherry brine which has been subjected to a hydrogen ion exchange treatment, and thereupon vacuum boiled for 30 minutes at C.

The distribution of the syrup and of the brine over the surface of the cherry processing tank may, of course, also be carried out independently of each other, which may for some purposes be preferable. At any event, the spraying of the treated brine into the airflow passing over the surface of tank I assures almost complete removal of the sulfur from the liquor before it is recirculated over the cherries, thus assuring maximum diffusion of sulfur dioxide to circulating liquor.

The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration and not of limitation and it is therefore my intention that the invention be limited only by the appended claims or their equivalent wherein I have endeavored to claim broadly all inherent novelty.

I claim:

1. Method for the treatment of cherries preserved in sulfur dioxide and lime brine which comprises contacting said cherries with a sulfur dioxide and lime brine derived from preserving such cherries, which brine was treated with a hydrogen ion exchange material to remove calcium ions and yield sulfur dioxide in said brine, and progressively removing sulfur dioxide during said contacting.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogen ion exchange material treatment develops a pH not exceeding 3 in said brine.

3. Method according to claim 1 which comprises in addition progressively removing water and adding sugar during said contacting.

4. Method for the treatment of cherries preserved in sulfur dioxide and lime brine which comprises contacting said cherries with a sulfur dioxide and lime brine derived from preserving such cherries, which brine was treated with a hydrogen ion exchange material to remove calcium ions and yield sulfur dioxide in said brine, and progressively removing sulfur dioxide by vaporization during said contacting.

5. Method according to claim 4 wherein said hydrogen ion exchange material treatment develops a pH not exceeding 3 in said brine.

6. Method according to claim 4 which comprises in addition progressively removing water and adding sugar during said contacting.

GORDON B. NICKOL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,019,030 Tucker Oct. 29, 1935 2,151,883 Adams Mar. 28, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Demineralizing Solutions, by Tiger et al., Industrial & Eng. Chem., Feb. 1943, pp. 186 to 191.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,494,258 January 10, 1950 GORDON B. NICKOL It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 25, after the word syrup insert from; lines 47 and 48, for concentrations read concentration;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of April, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

1. METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHERRIES PRESERVED IN SULFUR DIOXIDE AND LIME BRINE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID CHERRIES WITH A SULFUR DIOXIDE AND LIME BRINE DERIVED FROM PRESERVING SUCH CHERRIES, WHICH BRINE WAS TREATED WITH A HYDROGEN ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL TO REMOVE CALCIUM IONS AND YIELD SULFUR DIOXIDE IN SAID BRINE, AND PROGRESSIVELY REMOVING SULFUR DIOXIDE DURING SAID CONTACTING. 